21 Shades of Night, page 413
How selfish...
How cruel...
Lucas will pay for what he's done to me. My credibility has plummeted in the eyes of the Council and my peers. Slaughtering him is the only way I can get it back.
* * *
“MISS ASHTON,” WILLOW says, impatiently tapping her manicured fingers against the desk.
“Good...evening?” I say, awkwardly. I have no idea what the time is. “You were right, I was compelled, but I remember everything now.”
Sebastian, the orange Council member, leans forward in his chair, resting his elbows on the table, his bright blue eyes piercing mine. “It is very important that you tell us everything that happened.”
I nod, feeling more comfortable now I’m back in my uniform. “The story doesn’t differ much, but you might find something in the details. I went to his club, and then up to his room with the intention to kill him. We fumbled and he drugged me with something strong enough to make me pass out. When I woke up, I was handcuffed to his bed. He asked me to leave Earth, told me stop trying to ruin his plans. He referred to his brothers multiple times so I guess they’re in town, too.”
The Council stiffens.
“When I refused to leave, he had me compelled by his witch.”
“I doubt Death went to all the trouble to compel you just to get you off of Earth. He must’ve told you something he doesn’t want anyone else to know.” Willow points out.
I frown. “He didn’t tell me anything.”
“No?” I shake my head and all twelve of their eyes narrow. “Then this was all for nothing. Your trip was all for nothing,” Nektosha says, her accent thick and smooth.
“And you brought us nothing,” her brother adds. “All that time wasted. The human world is about to end and all you’ve done is prance around town with an ex-lover.”
“No, it wasn’t like that, I—”
“Silence!” Ahearn shouts. “You have disappointed us all.” He glances at Willow. “I would like to suggest that Miss Ashton is stripped of her four star ranking. Remaining at one star indefinitely. It seems like tracker demons are better suited for her capabilities.”
I gape. “Are you out of your fucki—”
“All those in favor?” Ahearn raises his hand.
One by one they raise their hands and I fight back the urge to cry. After all that I’ve been through, after all I’ve done…they’re just going to kick me to the curb?
“I trust you can find a tracker mission within the next few days,” Willow simpers. “Leave the complicated stuff to the grown-ups, okay?”
I slump my shoulders, unable to bear the weight of devastation that descends on me. I don’t watch as they leave the room, one after the other, and I linger for a little while after they leave, trying desperately to regain my composure. It doesn’t take me long. The silence of the room is enough to drive me from it. In a tear-filled haze, I rush from the room and slip into an elevator. Sighing, I lean against the railing and catch a glimpse of my face in the reflective surface of the opposite wall. I look...horrible. I reach for my face, for the swell in my lower lip. The tip of my finger barely grazes it and I wince, flinching away. Chloe sure did a number on me...Christ. And the Council...how could they do this to me? I risk my life and it’s not good enough.
The doors close and I pull my hair around my shoulders, creating a curtain to conceal the majority of the damage. Grinding my teeth, I hit a button and the elevator creaks and groans as it descends. Eventually, it stabilizes, dinging as the doors pull open. I tip my head, look at my shoes, and step out of the elevator, heading straight for the exit across the lobby.
“Violet?” I pull my shoulders up, hoping Lana gets the hint and stops approaching me from the right. Not now. Please, not now. “Oh my God!”
I hear her clipboard hit the floor and the soft click of her heels as she jogs over to me.
“I’ve been worried sick.” She says, leaning in close, placing her hand on my shoulder. “Are you all right?”
I nod, keeping my face hidden behind my hair. “Fine, thank you. If you don’t mind—”
She swipes at my hair. “Jesus Christ. What’d they do to you?”
What didn’t they do to me? “It’s nothing.”
“Nothing? You look like you’ve been hit by a train.”
“Yeah, well, Chloe hits harder than I thought.” I smirk, despite myself, and turn away from Lana.
“Where are you going?”
I walk away. “Home.”
Lana marches along beside me. “I’ll walk you.”
“I’m more than capable of walking on my own.”
“But you don’t have to.” She cuts in front of me, stopping me dead in my tracks. I exhale and shift my weight as frustration prickles at my chest. “You’re not my boss anymore.” I flinch and her eyes soften. “They told me about the demotion…let me walk with you as your friend, V. Not your assistant.”
Friend? How long has it been since anyone has referred to me as a friend? Lana pulls her long black coat around her, hiding her pretty red dress underneath it. We walk in silence through the lobby. I keep my head down, but people still stare and whisper. I’m having déjà vu of the day I walked all the way home by myself after Lucas had been taken by his brother’s. People stared and whispered then, too.
“You’d think they’d handle things more discretely up here,” Lana mutters, glaring at a small gathering of angels to our left. “What are you staring at? Get back to work!”
They flush red before turning and stalking away from us. I smile.
Eventually, we make it outside. The freezing cold air soothes my burning cheeks and I drag it in through my nose. Ah. Home. I look around my city. I love being here. It’s always bustling with purpose—and not the same kind of purpose you find on Earth. Our world isn’t fueled by alcohol, sex, money—although they do make the Never Dark slightly more bearable. It’s fueled by death, the death of Demons, and the prevailing of mankind.
I’ve always found Never Dark interesting. It’s not like Earth (despite all the luxuries we bring back). We have no countries and no borderlines. Our entire world is one major city run by angels and everyone here has something to contribute. Despite being angels, we still have to survive off actual food and water to nourish our physical bodies. To help, we have farms on the outskirts that provide us with the food we need to sustain us for the rest of our supernatural lives. The elderly angels (very little in number) choose to stay on the outskirts of the city mostly, in beautiful cottages until they pass on to the after-afterlife. I often hear angels discussing whether or not there’s a God. Some say yes, some say no, but I guess we’ll never know.
“Are you really okay?” Lana asks, pulling me from my thoughts. “You seem distracted and you look…well…dead.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s not that bad.”
“It’s pretty bad.”
“I’ll be fine in a few days.” I push forward, but she catches my elbow, forcing me to stay put.
“Look, I know you’re not the kind of person that likes to talk, but you need to... It’ll be good for you.”
I simper. “Good for me, huh?”
She shrugs her shoulders, offering me a kind smile. “So they say.”
Maybe venting about my life would help…the theory is nice, but sharing feelings and spending time? It all seems so exhausting. Long story short, I’m not used to people caring about me because I’ve never let them. I didn’t have parents or siblings. I was raised in a shelter before I moved out at eighteen. I’m not used to having shoulders to lean on. The moment I let someone ‘care’ and walk me home, I died because they didn’t actually care about me, only what I could provide.
“I’m okay, Lana, but if I ever want to talk you’ll be the first person I call.”
I drop onto the first step, wincing as my knees ache.
“Are you sure you don’t need me to walk you home?” Lana asks, remaining at the top.
I wave her off. “I’m good.”
“Can I give you something to think about before you go?”
I kick an empty can of Coke that lays abandoned on the fourth step from the bottom. Is she ever going to quit? Will I ever make it home? “Go ahead.”
Lana bounces down the stairs, her eyes wide with excitement. “It’s the perfect answer for your situation,”
“Situation? This isn’t a situation.” I tell her. “This is a big fucking mess.”
“Fine, I have something that will fix your big fucking mess.” She places her hands on her hips. “What if you don’t kill Lucas?”
“I didn’t.”
“No, in the future.”
“I can’t.”
Lana stomps her foot. “You know what I mean. What if, and this is a pretty big what if, what if you kill one of his brothers?”
I chuckle. She makes it sound like killing demons is a walk in the park. It’s not. Even trackers have their difficulties. And I’ve seen firsthand how strong Lucas’s brothers are. “That won’t work. You can’t kill what isn’t assigned to you.”
“I’m sure the Council won’t care if you kill one of the four Horsemen. If you want to earn your stars and the respect of the Council back, Violet, there are always options. You’re going to want to be quick, though. Earth probably isn’t going to exist in a few more weeks.”
“Thanks, but look at me.” I point at my swollen face. “This is what happens when you swim in water that is too deep, so I think I’ll pass.”
“Violet, you—”
“Look, I get that you’re trying to help and all, but I just want to rest for a few days. The thought of going back to Earth right now makes me want to kill myself.”
“Okay, fine, but if you do decide you want to regain your pride, let me know and I’ll help you.”
Lana whirls on her heel.
“You’re crazy!” I call out.
She flips me off and storms into HQ, leaving me wallowing in the blissful sounds of a busy city and my own self pity.
* * *
"OPEN, YOU SON of a b––" The door to my apartment jars and I give it a hard shove. The door shoots open, throwing me into my sparse living room. As silly as it sounds, I've missed my stupid jarring door.
It has only been a week since I was last in my apartment, but it feels like a whole lifetime has passed since then.
I love being here, but if I’m being honest, my apartment is as depressing as the cell I was just in. I glance around the room. I’ve never taken to decorating my space or filling it with meaningless junk. I’m rarely home, after all. The bed, the couch, and the t.v. are enough to sustain the brief lengths of time I spend in this realm, in my home.
I make my way through the desolate living room and into the bathroom to assess more of the damage done to my body. Hissing, I slide out of my catsuit and stand in front of my huge bathroom mirror. I touch my face and frown. I look awful. My cheeks and mouth are purple and swollen. It should turn yellow in a few days before disappearing completely. Until then, I’m not going anywhere. I look like I picked a fight with a concrete wall and lost. I press down on the inflamed skin and wince. “Assholes,”
I reach for the small bottle of painkillers that sit on my countertop. I pop the lid and tap the tube against my palm, gentle enough to force a few pills out. I swallow them with two handfuls of water and stroll from the bathroom to my bedroom.
I step around the clothes and open books are scattered across my floor and I turned the fan on and it circulated warm air around my room. With a loud grunt, I collapsed onto my bed and closed my eyes. I wondered if I could hide out in here forever—it’s what I’d like to do. Unfortunately, killing demons is the name of the game, and if you’re not killing, you’re not in the game. I rolled over onto my back and thought about the things Lana had said. She was right about everything and I knew that, but the thought of having to do those things terrified me. When you make new friends, it isn’t just the awkward social conventions you have to worry about. It’s also their losses and their deaths you have to deal with. I’m not sure I could be the person to offer support in those times and I’m definitely not the type of person that would want support in those times, at least, not anymore. Did I ever consider Lana to be a friend? No, not really. She was my assistant and that’s as far as I thought it went. Lana, on the other hand, seems to feel obligated to see how I’m doing and I think she genuinely cares. She’s definitely toughened up in the year that I’ve had her as my assistant… maybe I could be her friend. As for the regaining my pride thing… I don’t know how I’d manage. The four Horsemen are a powerful bunch, but it’s worth a shot, I guess. Lucas cared enough to have me compelled, so surely he cares enough to kill one of his own brothers if they hurt me. It was a long shot, but probably one I’d entertain when I’m feeling up to it.
My body ached at the thought of fighting right now and so I shook it from my mind. What I needed was sleep and I closed my eyes. It didn’t take long for me to drift off into oblivion.
Chapter 15
Disposition
*
Lucas
I RESTLESSLY TAP my fingers against the wooden table top as I wait for my brothers. I didn't want to call them. I don't want them in my home, in my personal space, but I can't end the world without them. We all play our part at scheduled times. There's going it alone.
I adjust my black tie and cross my legs over each other, flicking my foot impatiently. I glance at the clock. They’re lat—
“Mr. Cross?” Men’s voice rings over the intercom and I freeze as a wild kick hits me in the stomach. “They’re here.”
“Send them in.”
I wait a minute, maybe, and one by one they appear in a thick puff of smoke. I frown. They’re lucky I took the batteries out of the smoke alarm. War adjusts his green polo before stuffing his hand into the pockets of his jeans. None of them dress like me. They drape themselves in mainstream t-shirts and worn jeans while I opt for fine cotton and expensive leather…then again, I am the only one who owns a high end hotel, I suppose.
War drops his large frame into a chair at the end of the table opposite me, and Famine and Conquest take up the chairs on either side of him.
“Something must be wrong, brother,” War says, entwining his fingers and resting his thick elbows on the table.
I tilt my head. “What makes you say that?”
“You never invite us here of your own accord.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, well, some things are bigger than my distaste for you three.” I scratch my cheek. “I want to fast track the apocalypse to the end of next week.”
They laugh at me, as if I said something hilarious. As if I am the crazy one.
“Impossible.” Conquest spits. “There’s no way we can gain the Council’s approval for another fast track and there’s no way we can end the world in only eleven days.”
How do you reason with a simple mind? “What if I told you that it’s very possible?”
“It’s not.” Famine yawns, rubbing the stubble on his chin. “We’ve managed to bring it almost nine hundred years before schedule. Six months is close enough. The Underworld Council isn’t going to budge.”
“Who says we need the Council’s approval?”
Conquest and Famine flinch, stiffening in fear, but War cocks his eyebrow with intrigue. If I can get War to do what I want, Conquest and Famine will blindly follow.
“We need the Council’s approval, Death.” War mutters, frowning. “That’s the only law we have to abide by.”
“Screw the law!” I slam my hands against the table. “We are the Horsemen. Without us, there will never be an apocalypse. The Council needs us. We don’t need them.”
Famine scoffs and pushes his chair back, placing his feet on the table. The soles of his sneakers are filthy and fragments of mud fall onto my clean surface. “We end Earth and then what?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we have to go back to the Underworld and deal with the Council. Once they learn what we’ve done they’ll kill us. They can replace us easily, it’s not like we’re one of a kind.”
I smile at Famine. “We won’t go back to the Underworld. We’ll destroy Earth and then rebuild it the way we want. We’ll make it our own.”
Conquest and Famine open their mouths to contest me, but War raises a thick, callused hand and they shut their mouths. “What’s this about, Lucas?” He asks me.
I don’t like the sinister gleam in his eye. “I want more power. That’s what this is about.”
He leans forward in his chair. “It’s about her, isn’t it?”
I glower at him. How does he know? Am I that much of an open book? No, I can’t be. I’ve given nothing away about her. “Her?”
A wry smile tugs at War’s lips. “You’re not the only one with a witch, Death. And you’re sure as hell not the only one keeping a close eye on her.”
Famine turns his devious smile on me. “Her?” Realization flickers over his face. “Ohhh, her.”
The amount of pressure I’m putting on my jaw causes it to ache. I want to tear their hearts from their chests. Inhaling, I unclench my jaw. “Violet isn’t on Earth. I saw to that myself.”
“You know how angels operate. She’ll be back within a week or so,” Conquest points out. “And maybe I’ll get to her first.”
The look in Conquest’s eye isn’t one of lust, but one of hate. The last time Violet and Conquest met, her blade went through his forearm. He’s still nursing a bruised pride, it seems.
“You can fight over her all you want.” The words leave a bad taste in my mouth. “But I have bigger issues that need my attention.” I button up my jacket. “You’re either with me or against me. If you’re with me, you won’t have to live under the Council’s rule. If you’re not with me, stay the fuck out of my way. I’ll give you until tomorrow night to decide.”
